TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Veronika Skorokhod
The training activity aimed to strengthen the employability and personal development of young people by developing keyo key competences needed for entering and succeeding in the labour market. Through experiential learning, practical exercises, and guided reflection, the training focused on building participants’ self-confidence, motivation, communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving abilities, and adaptability. Another important aim was to help participants better understand themselves, their strengths, and their career goals, and to prepare them for real work situations such as job interviews, teamwork under pressure, and handling challenges at work.
The target group of the activity consisted of young people in transition from education to the labour market, mainly aged approximately 18–30, who were seeking to strengthen their employability and personal competences. Many participants had limited work experience and faced challenges such as low self-confidence, uncertainty about career direction, or difficulties in communication and teamwork.
The group included young people with fewer opportunities, such as migrants, refugees, and young people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. For many participants, this training represented an important step toward better integration into the labour market and society. The activity was designed to be inclusive and adaptable to different educational levels and personal backgrounds. The group of participants was from Ukraine and Czechia.
The training was implemented entirely using non-formal learning methods, with a strong focus on active participation, experiential learning, and reflection. Instead of frontal teaching, participants were engaged through practical activities that allowed them to learn by doing and by sharing their own experiences. Group work and cooperative learning were used throughout the training to support teamwork, communication, and mutual learning in an international environment.
Experiential activities played a key role in the programme. For example, participants took part in team challenges such as building a tower under time pressure or coordinating a group counting activity, which helped them develop problem-solving skills, adaptability, stress management, and effective communication. These activities were always followed by guided reflection, enabling participants to connect their experience with real work situations.
Self-reflection and peer learning were also central methods. Participants worked individually and in small groups to analyse their own work experiences using structured reflection tools such as the STAR method, and they shared feedback with each other in a safe and supportive setting. Discussions and peer exchange allowed participants to learn from different perspectives, especially in the multicultural group.
The training activity achieved a clear improvement in participants’ employability skills, self-awareness, and confidence when entering the world of work. By the end of the training, participants demonstrated a better understanding of their own strengths, clearer career goals, and increased ability to communicate, cooperate in teams, manage stress, and reflect on challenging situations. Many participants were able to translate their learning into concrete outputs, such as personal action plans, analysed work situations using the STAR method, and clearer ideas about their next professional steps.
The success of the training could be observed and evaluated through several indicators. Participants were highly engaged throughout the programme and actively participated in discussions, group work, and experiential activities. Their progress was visible in the quality of reflection, their ability to give and receive feedback, and the way they approached teamwork and problem-solving tasks over time. Feedback collected during and after the training confirmed that participants felt more confident, motivated, and better prepared for job applications, interviews, and real workplace situations. In addition, the achievement of learning objectives was evident in participants’ self-evaluations and in group reflections linking the activities to real-life employment contexts.
In the trainers’ team, I worked as a full-time trainer, responsible for the planning, delivery, and facilitation of the entire training programme. My role included designing and leading the non-formal learning activities, guiding participants through experiential exercises, and supporting reflection and discussions. I facilitated group work, team challenges, and individual reflection exercises such as the STAR method, ensuring that participants actively engaged with the learning objectives.
I was also responsible for monitoring progress, providing feedback, and adapting activities to meet the needs of the diverse, international group. Additionally, I coordinated practical aspects of the training, including materials preparation, visual tools for action plans, and follow-up exercises, to ensure the learning outcomes were achieved. Throughout the training, I worked closely with co-trainers to create a supportive and inclusive environment that encouraged participation, skill development, and self-confidence, fully fulfilling my role as a full-time trainer.